


Lorelei

by Anatolius



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:09:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22280851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anatolius/pseuds/Anatolius
Summary: It was an ordinary afternoon of May when Arthurian legends were not yet to begin. Artoria was still too young to understand the blood, conspiracy, sorrow and struggling on this world.
Relationships: Merlin | Caster/Artoria Pendragon | Saber
Kudos: 15





	Lorelei

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Her golden jewelry glistens](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/551074) by KateLaurant. 



> Author’s Notes:  
> I know Artoria and Merlin met only in dreams before Artoria drew the sword out of the stone, but I just want to force them to meet in reality.
> 
> Translator’s Notes:  
> This story was written by KateLaurant, and with her permission I translated it into English.  
> As English is not my first language, there could be horrible grammatical errors in places. Please let me know if you have any suggestion. Thanks for reading!

May was Sir Ector’s favourite month in a year, when the wet days of spring eventually ended, and then came the sweet sunny days before summer heat approached. At this time his vast and fertile estate, stretching down to a forest, was usually covered with the lush grass. From the window of his castle, which stood at a high point of this field and was fortified with a moat, he could see the livestock grazing lazily on this meadow. Further away were magnificent beeches. Nameless flowers were dotted here and there.

Some of the flowers, however, were not native to Sir Ector’s land.

A magus was walking along the only smooth road to the castle, leaving a trail of nameless flowers behind. Cloaked and hooded, he kept an uncharacteristic low profile with only half of his face showed, yet his becomingly slender and tall form still attracted attention from girls. To their curiosity he responded with a smile or a whistle, which excited giggles from its frivolity.

Seeing this, a minstrel sitting around the corner also joined the fun and started to sing a folk tune with his bandore.

_Sunshine came along with thee_  
_And swallows in the air_  
_In thy blush the rose was born_  
_In thine azure eyes, the morn sparkling seemed to break*_

When Merlin finally reached the castle gate, who he saw was not Ector’s servant, but the knight himself. It was not quite lunch time and the kids were still outside, but the old knight insisted on having a drink first with him, as only God knows when the next chance would come.

This magus was always here today and gone tomorrow. He could stay in the castle for a whole year, and then disappeared without warning. It would usually take months before he showed up again. The last time he appeared in the castle was five months ago, when fallen snow was as white as his long hair.

After Epiphany, Kay positively claimed it was due to several maids who found themselves had been dating with the same man in the past few months that Merlin had to leave here abruptly, and his story got nothing but Artoria’s frown. Now she would have all the more reason to claim Kay got it wrong, as Merlin had the courage to come back.

After a cup of Metheglyn with spices Sir Ector became quite expansive. Actually, he had long been prepared for a talk and just needed a few drinks to warm it up. Grave as he appeared in front of kinds, he was much more conversable privately.

Merlin half-listened as Ector rambled on, skipping from his frostbite in January to the farce on their Candlemas dinner, and from their mare's dystocia to Kay’s chill caught in early spring, which scared his nanny. He also talked about the progress Artoris (he got tongue-tied when trying to pronounce it correctly) recently made in fencing.

“It has been her daily routine to urge me to call you back.” he said. It recalled Merlin to himself, for that was also her nightly routine when the little girl met him in her dreams.

In the morning kids were making archery practice, or more accurately (as Merlin saw through his clairvoyance), chasing a stray arrow into the forest and indulging in a little adventure there, which was obviously more attractive than the coming lunch. They had been supposed to learn joust in the afternoon, but that would be changed to history or classic Latin, for Merlin was back.

After Sir Ector finished his Metheglyn and chatter, he went back to his own business, while Merlin sat reading in the study. He had taken off his dark rough cloth cloak, and the white robe underneath was gleaming in the sunlight that also brightened his long hair.

He didn’t enjoy the book for long, however, before the sound of approaching hurrying feet and voices of two kids broke the silence of the corridor.

“We come back late again, and it’s all your fault!” one child shouted angrily.

“Are you serious?” said another voice, softer, yet of same vigor.

“You fought with them AGAIN. I’ve told you so many times don’t fight all the time. We could have come back on time had it not been for you.”

“They asked for it!” The kid with a softer voice stressed. “They called me a sissy!”

“But it’s true that you’re a girl, right?”

“And they called me ‘little runt’!”

“It’s also true that you’re not tall.” The first kid said, and after what sounded like a smack he began again in an angrier whisper. “Listen, Merlin will be back today. I’m going to tell him your heroic deeds and let’s see what praise he’ll give you!”

The other child sounded caught on the raw. “Mer-Merlin won’t scold me. He’s just going to laugh and ask if I have knocked them out!” They were right outside the door now, and the magus heard every word. “He might even say ‘well done’!”

“Come on.” The first child snorted, and pushed the door open. The next moment both kids froze at the sight of Merlin, who they thought was still on the way.

The child who opened the door seemed older with a taller and stronger figure. He had brown hair and some freckles. The other one was much slighter, with a face of delicate, girlish features. She had golden hair and sparkling emerald eyes. The two kids both looked about ten.

“Merlin!” The older boy first came to himself, remembering what he had prepared to say. “I've got some news for you---”

“---Don't believe him. I was making archery practice with him. I shot a rabbit! But when we ran into the forest to pick up the arrow---” Artoria also stepped forward, and blushed as she argued.

“——No. We ran into several big boys on our way home, and in a second Altoria and the boys came to blows——”

“——No. They were laughing at me! I just had to——”

Kay interrupted her. “She……I mean, he could get badly injured. Those guys almost broke one of his ribs last time!”

“That was because they made a dirty sneak attack!” Scarlet with rage, Artoria turned to the magus anxiously. “But I beat them this time! UNHURT, almost!”

“——Father has told her so many times not to fight——”

“——But those guys snatched Kay’s favourite arrow, and then we met Bedivere on our way ho——”

“We’d stolen the arrow back before Artoria and those guys fell into fighting.” said Kay quickly.

Artoria glared over her shoulder at Kay, green eyes burning. “That’s right!” she said. “We fell into fighting after you two got spotted when trying to steal the arrow!”

The world silenced as Kay found no word to say. He and Artoria both turned their gaze to Merlin, holding their breath for his reply, like “You’re so reckless” or “Well done Artoria”. However, the magus didn’t give any expected response. He just stared at Artoria, with an unusual frown.

“Artoria.” Merlin said.

Brought up to be a knight, Artoria almost had nothing to fear, but she shrunk under Merlin’s eyes. “Yes, Merlin?” she said, with a rare nervousness.

The magus asked her quietly. “What happened to your hair?”

To be continued

*This part is a citation from Aura Lea by Fosdick


End file.
